AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

Doesn't having it on that side block the view of your rear light and reflector?

GC8

Oh dear. Thats more of a reflection on you, than it is on me, as I hadnt realised that my innocent question could be interpreted so.....

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

nope. I have two rear lights with a total of 11 LEDs pointing directly backwards. I have the piping from the tyres, pannier and me to see from the side, and I'm going to rearrange the rear lights to put the 10 LED one on the stem so I can have the two LEDs each side visible as well.

I'm tempted to even get some spoke lights! Paranoid, or not paranoid enough?

dunx

iTrader: (3)

KB you are still not going to be noticed by the myopic masses, they will claim you blinded them !

LOL

DunxC

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Yes, I quite fancy something to light me from the side.

I think full on Hi Viz really helps as I suspect that some motorists associate it with Coppers, so for the first 0.1 seconds they think I may be Police so dont run me over, the blue light helps as well....

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

I can do that as well.... the tree is about 120' away....



I'm really going to have pop down a totally unlit track and see how bright this baby really is

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Is that the massive torch ?

Scoobychick

iTrader: (1)

Kieran Burns on his bike - visible from space

Oi you, I'll have you know that I've done roughly 300 miles miles around Cropton Forest in the North York Moors NP this weekend, all uphill, all about 25% gradients. I've had 6 punctures but carried on on the rims and jumped across seven rivers whilst carrying a 65 kilo pack on my back and pulling a wheelie and a couple of gratuitous bunny hops

Actually some of that ^^ may not be true

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

Yep

I really will get down the bridleway and take a pic 'cos the damn beam goes over 300' on a straight run

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

Anyway - back to the original reason for the thread rather than me ***** waving with my bloody silly torch.

Cycled in today as I am on a late shift (covering for holiday) and the train isn't convenient. I wouldn't say I have turned the corner with my fitness yet, but I am standing there, kind of peering 'round...

I'm now consistently in the gear I wanted to be in when I started cycle commuting and rarely use the gear I started to cycle everywhere in as it is now too slow and too slack.

I got half way down the bridleway this morning (1st of 3 gates) and was smiling as I was enjoying myself so much... sounds daft on such a miserable day but I really was... I was warm and dry (under the clothes) cycling well and enjoying the scenery.

When I hit the traffic I was being held up (for the first time) and lost about 10 mins of the hour commute due to heavy traffic, but again - I left myself plenty of time to get in and just enjoyed myself.

I've finally got the bike set up the way I want it: 28c tyres are a perfect choice for my commute, the mudguards keep me clean, and the panniers keep the weight off my back and low down, so the handling is great.

It's taken 6 weeks to get this far, and I really am starting to enjoy the bike ride more and more - the *effort* is lessening and the actual commute is becoming something to look forward to.

Mind you - I'm not so sure about tonight as it looks like a bitch headwind and rain... so we'll see how I feel when I get home!

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Similar here, came home last night averaging 17 - 20 mph over most of the flat bits, got home and just felt warmed up, similar this morning, got the waterproofs on and cruised in oblivious to the rain, rain is not a problem I have decided if you have waterproofs, its the wind thats the problem.

However, my crinkly Altura waterproof pants require thermals underneath, so I dug my old ones out form a long time ago and they fit but could do with coming up a bit higher in a Simon Cowell stlyee, they pulled down at the back with was annoying but it was the lack of space for male reproductive equipment that was worse, suffice to say I will be off to buy some that dont cause the unpleasant sensation.

Need to get some panniers, going to get some for my birthday, will probably still take a small backpack but it would be nice to get the weight lower down.

I am on 28mm Continentals, actually got it cranked over the other day, long hill followed by a tight bend, real buzz.

I feel a complete cop out if I use the car, I am hoping that this gets me fit and we are getting a new hound so hopefully he will take me for a walk every night.


Edit, I have started riding in during the rain and wind as I am concerned as to what another poster will say if I dont, he cycles practically naked during the harshest weather, sat on a saddle with broken glass in it, his bike has no tyres (he says they are for girls) and he cycles the wrong way up the road, headbutting anything that gets in his way, all I know is we call him SiPie

SiPie

Lets see how you'll be feeling come April when your first winter of commuting has been and gone

Hopefully you'll feel like you've really achieved something although I guarantee you there will be at least 20 journeys (well up here in Scotland it's at least 20...!) when you will be thinking and just why the **** am i doing this....this sucks !!? coupled with 6 or 7 occasions when you'll think will I make it home alive..!!?

All part of the fun but I strongly recommend ditching the bike if the sustained wind speeds are forecast to be -> 35mph or gusts -> 60mph

Falling off a MTB on some nutty black route is all good and well but getting blown off your road bike and falling under a haulage truck would appear to suck big time...

Good man re the wet weather riding J4CKO

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

something like this?



I've done winter cycling where the parka I was wearing froze in shape!

GC8

I bet he has to pedal like f*ck to keep the dynamo spinning for that!

austinwrx

I cycle all yr round- been using sigma front lights- just to recommend them really. every monday night we go mountain biking- proved their worth in some terrible conditions. (3 hrs and a little bit in the ****e weather we had last night for example)

personally for road cycling

1 maybe 2 decent back lights and a yellow bib |(road digger type for about £5.00) on top of normal clothes

have a good fixed front light and a decent "flashing" front too.

you do not need to be lit up like a xmas tree- you need to cycle defensively.

finally spoke lights and spoke deflectors are no good- they throw the balance out on yr wheels.

davegtt

Loving leaving the house in the morning listening to some tunes on the ipod and cycling in It is getting a little nippier but nothing I cant handle. Northern lad me

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Please tell me you dont listen to an Ipod in traffic ?

davegtt

Most of my journey is on a cycle path (not cycle lane) and yes, when that runs out I do about 1 mile on the road with it. Im not stupid though, I can hear the traffic above the ipod and Im VERY aware, been cycling a long time to work inbetween cars so Ive encountered some of the craziest drivers around town to know how stupid some of them are.

But I also live in a reasonably small town where roads are not all that dangerous compared to city traffic that you guys probably have in rush hour.

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

I put a post up on Bike Radar about listening to headphones when cycling - it fair split the community!

My opinion is that you shouldn't: it limits one important sense that you need for defensive cycling, and we're at enough risk as it is. I know others will argue that they can still hear the traffic etc etc, but it limits your sense of hearing and it does distract, or else why would you have it on?

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

On the road, I just couldnt consider it, I just dont have enought spare resources as it is, it I would imagine depend largely on your route but on mine I am too busy listening for cars, like Punto woman who ***** herself every morning when she sees me as she is going too fast and using all the road, if I was wearing headphones I wouldnt have advance warning of the dumb bint and the opportunity to get right in to avoid her, one morning I am going to stop her and tell her to slow the f*ck down or perhaps use the main road rather than the single track road, its not a shortcut for cars, narrow, bumpy, blind bends and hilly.

Mogsi

I must have been one of the people who said I do use one.....

Not getting into that debate here, it got fairly heated over on Bikeradar

davegtt

Guess it depends on conditions, traffic volume, weather etc as to whether its acceptable. I wouldnt dream of doing it cycling in cities but my town I dont see no harm.

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

I was hoping for more than 100 posts on almost my first thread Got very close

The split was interesting - I genuinely thought it would be utterly one sided but it was something like 60/40 in the end.

Anyway - got my lights all sorted for this evening. Please look out for a manic bumble bee travelling westbound out of Derby this evening at approximately 6:30 (no NOT the uber-silly light! I'd get arrested for having that thing on the bike)

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Kieran, whats your actual light ?

I seem to remember you got a Single Shot plus as well ?

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

I've got a Halfords 1/2 watt LED special
The single shot plus for the front

and a Cateye LD-1100 and LD-610 for the rear

The uber-silly ***** waving one is a 3 million candle power mains chargeable thing from CostCo

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Oops, first time I have "Fell Off", got to junction, couldnt unclip and fell sideways, amazingly, for rush hour nobody saw me.

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

YAY!!

I bet you loved that frantically wiggling the foot like buggery action while the world suddenly tilted!

I can laugh - I've done it twice




Oh, bloody silly thing on the way home tonight - I managed to run into a pigeon!!

It tried to get away but in the tradition of stupid birds it flew directly along my path and got wrapped around my handlebars - a quick smack and it bounced on the floor, picked itself up and flew (ish) off.

Bonehead

I've got a Sony Walkman phone. I just put it on speaker and keep it in one of the side pouches on my backpack.
Aside from giving me some cracking choons it also acts as a warning system to people in front. So it's all good.

Except when some of the silly ringtones that are in there go off. Cycled passed some OAPS the other day when the TO55ER DETECTION SYSTEM blared out before I could get stop it......nice!

SiPie

Please, please, please, please lets not get into this here and we must also swear never to debate should you wear a helmet or not.....

Although both issues seem like common sense to most, the level of unresolvable and heated debate they generate are amazing

If you do want to join in, then do a search in here:

Bike Forums

or the forum that Kieran just mentioned

Forums - BikeRadar....

.....and you'll find plenty 30 page threads about both subjects

Scoobychick

iTrader: (1)

I know I shouldn't but